


All for the 6-4

by VerdantSunset



Category: Titanfall (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Banter, Canon-Typical Violence, Flashbacks, Gay Male Character, Gen, Graphic Description, M/M, Origin Story, Pre-Titanfall 2 (Titanfall), Redemption, Team as Family, Titanfall 2 (Titanfall), War Crimes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:07:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28273590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VerdantSunset/pseuds/VerdantSunset
Summary: Gates had joined the IMC for money, simple as that. She needed money, and on the frontier her choices were limited. With her skill she rose through the ranks quickly, becoming a pilot within a year. At her rank, money was never going to be a problem again. But soon, she found something else worth fighting for. A family.
Relationships: Davis/Captain Droz (Titanfall)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	All for the 6-4

The sounds of blowtorches, heavy machinery, and metal clanking against metal fills the hangar of the MCS Azeria, the 6-4's carrier ship for the titans they would bring into battle. It also serves as a home for the faction’s members. The hanger is filled with titans. Below them are the metal doors that open up as the first step of a titanfall. 

Half the titans in the hangar are in some need of repairs, most are minor, dented, burnt, and shredded armor is to be expected after any battle. A handful of others, however, will require more involved repairs. These titans are missing limbs and weapons, parts that are vital to the function of titans as machines of war. One titan, if it could even be called a titan, hangs supported by a mechanical lift, only a battered chassis remains, its operating system still intact. It’ll have to be put to scrap, and the operating system put in another titan.

Gates, leader of the 6-4, keeps a watchful eye on the repairs, as the pilots under her command see to their titans with help from the rest of the 6-4, those who for one reason or another are unable to fight, they serve as navigators, mechanics, and medics, they fulfill the work that is essential to any faction on the frontier. Without them, there wouldn’t be a 6-4. Among the mechanics are MRVNs working as assistants, Gates never understood the point of having them around, but some of the mechanics insisted. As long as they pull their weight, she thought. She scans the room, her helmet tallying an electronic ledger detailing the parts of every titan that needs replacing. Her eyes stop on Jack Cooper in the corner of the hangar, the everyday pilots of the 6-4 were used to leaving their titans in the capable hands of the engineers, he insisted he do some of the repairs himself. He was given another vanguard class titan after BT was destroyed, it seems the experience made him a tad overprotective of his new titan. Protective or not, however, he is no engineer and by comparison to the other titans in the hanger, his still looks like it did directly after the battle. 

The neural link in Gates’ helmet activates the voice comms before she even has to request it. “Cooper!” she yells through the comm. He clearly hears her as he jumps from the sudden noise coming from his own helmet. Before he can respond Gates continues, “I was going to humor you, but you’re taking too long on those repairs.” She points a thumb behind her, towards the living quarters of the ship. “Let the engineers do their jobs and go take a shower. That’s an order.” 

His stubbornness receding under the order he put down the tools he had been working with, “Yes ma'am.” He turned to his titan, “Sorry buddy, Commander’s orders.” 

The titan turned his single glowing eye towards the rest of the hangar, “I’ve had time to watch the 6-4’s engineers at work, you can trust that I will be fully repaired and operational the next time we meet.” His voice is soft spoken, unusual for a titan.

Cooper turns over his shoulder as he walks towards the exit “Good to know,” as he passes by Gates on his way to the door, he says, “I’ll be seeing you Commander,” while giving a lazy two-fingered salute. 

Gates watched him walk off until he was out of view, before turning to his titan who was now being worked upon by a handful of engineers. “You coddle him, you know.” She says to the titan.

“Perhaps.” The titan speaks with a steady, even tone, “I am merely acting in accordance with the third protocol.” He explains.

“Protect the pilot?” Gates asks.

“Affirmative. Cooper is my pilot, therefore treating his mental health is one of my responsibilities as his titan.”

Gates was at a loss for words. She had her own vanguard titan, a prototype from the Frontier Militia, so she was familiar with their tendency to develop personalities of their own. But, she had never heard of a titan being concerned with anyone’s mental health. “Are you saying you’re his therapist or something?”

The titan pauses for a moment, as if drawing out information from his database. “Not quite, I am not qualified for such a designation. However, prior data indicates that helping Cooper in this way will improve our combat effectiveness.”

Gates grunts in acknowledgement, “I see.” She looks towards the other end of the hangar, where her own titan stands undamaged. I prefer a titan that doesn’t try to diagnose me, she thought to herself.

… 

Gates walks down the hallways of the Azeria, her shoulder length, black hair still wet from the shower. Even in casual clothes, she still has a pistol at her belt, a habit she attained back when she was a rifleman. Down the hall through an open door she can hear laughter and sounds of Davis’ voice.

She steps through the doorway into the lounge area of the ship. Inside are couches, originally there was only one, but as the 6-4 grew the need for more furniture became evident. The couches themselves are of a variety of styles and quality, some of them look like they were salvaged out of a burning building. It serves to make the break room look more like a hodgepodge of forgotten furniture. Otherwise there are a few games tables, pool, table tennis, etc. About half of the couches are occupied, she sees Cooper, his black hair still wet from the shower, he waves at Gates as she walks over. Next to him is Davis, without his helmet she can see his brown hair and eyes along with his ever enduring smile. He is busy telling a story about how Droz first tried to ask him out, much to Droz’s loud objection. Gates quietly sits down on one of the couches next to Bear who’s silently watching the scene unfold. He gives her a grin through his beard as she sits down, and she begins to hear the latter end of the story.

“-so, we were deep in enemy lines, our titans had been destroyed,” Davis continues, a smirk running across his face as Droz shoots him a glare. “And we’re hiding in the wreckage of an old carrier ship.” He looks at his boyfriend with a cheeky smile, “We’re both Hunkering down, hoping they don’t find us and he says to me.” He deepens his voice in an imitation of Droz, “Hey Davis, we ever make it out of this you wanna go on a date?” 

Droz suddenly interrupts the story, “Hey, that’s not what I said and you know it!”

Davis laughs out loud, “well, it’s close enough.” He jokes through his laughter. “Oh come on Droz, it was really sweet that you were thinking of me in what could’ve been our final moments.” He turns to Cooper who is laughing along with the rest of the pilots, “I of course said yes, and we have been seeing each other ever since.” He looks over to Gates and Cooper follows his gaze. “That mission was the first one we got after we met the Commander. But that’s a whole ‘nother story and if anyone’s going to tell it, then it’s going to be her.” 

Gates chuckles to herself, “Davis, if you want me to tell the story you can always ask. You’re not exactly being subtle about the fact that you clearly want me to tell it. Same goes for you too Cooper.” She says looking at the black haired pilot. Gates chuckles, “Well, I guess you haven’t heard it yet. You haven’t exactly known us for very long.” Gates casually read the room like a commander surveying a battlefield, everyone’s expressions said the same thing, they wanted to hear the story. Even some of the pilots who have been in 6-4 for years want to hear it again. “All right, fine, I suppose a trip down memory lane never hurt anybody.” Gates leaned forward on the couch as he looked upon Davis, Droz, Cooper, Bear, and the rest of the pilots under her command. “It all began a few years ago, when I shot my commanding officer in the back.”

Cooper was the only one there who hadn’t heard the story before, but he had the same reaction each of them had when they heard that first line from Gates. “Wait, what!?”

  
  



End file.
